Clear-Com equipment is allowing MSI to do more with its legacy equipment

Clear-Com has enabled AV production company Meeting Services, Inc. (MSI) of San Diego, CA to connect its legacy analog intercom equipment to modern IP-based intercom systems, using LQ Series interfaces.

2-wire analog wired systems are still an industry standard for many operators. Clear-Com equipment is allowing MSI to do more with its legacy equipment, while coming up with new ways to connect production staff, performers, and customers. MSI has used the LQ Series interfaces to transport, power and assigning its 2-wire and 4-wire analog wired beltpacks and camera CCU interfaces to different channels on the system on local or global networks. Either standalone or combined into larger systems with MSI’s HelixNet and FreeSpeak II wireless intercom systems where larger deployment is needed.

“We take the legacy analog stations, beltpacks, and camera CCUs in Front of House (FOH) production positions, and connect them into LQ Series interface boxes to carry signals over IP between them and the HelixNet located Back of House (BOH),” said Tom Bollard, MSI’s Technical Director.

“The LQ Series boxes provide power to the legacy units plus two-way digital IP connectivity without any of the hum, buzzes, clicks, and cross-talk associated with long runs of analog cable. It has effectively breathed new life into these old units; delivering superior audio quality and IP connectivity without us having to buy additional new equipment. With technology like the LQ Series, we can maximize our inventory and our capabilities.”

Connecting legacy equipment over IP networks via the LQ Series isn’t the only way MSI is getting creative with intercom technology. In a second instance, the company also leveraged the LQ interfaces’ newly added IP based telephone Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) capabilities to provide a telephone link between an awards ceremony they were producing and the customer’s headquarters – without using analog telephone lines.

“There were no analog phone lines at the venue, so we couldn’t use a standard teleconferencing system to connect it to the company offices,” said Bollard.

To solve the problem, MSI deployed an LQ Series interface box with SIP capability and a HelixNet speaker station at the venue. MSI then sent the signals over IP to the client’s headquarters, where they connected into its IP-based telephone system. As a bonus, MSI was able to feed the return audio into the venue’s house speakers; making it easy for everyone to hear what the headquarters staff had to say.

“The result was a teleconferencing system without a teleconferencing system being used, thanks to the flexibility of the LQ Series,” added Bollard. “We even used the LQ to patch into the venue’s existing 2-wire infrastructure for spotlights, plus any miscellaneous production drops that were in place.”

Clear-Com’s Agent-IC app

In a third advance, MSI uses Clear-Com’s Agent-IC app for patching remote staff into the HelixNet intercom on their smartphones. “Agent-IC allows our people in the field to connect to our intercom system whenever they need to, wherever they may be,” continued Bollard. “It is great for outdoor situations, such as doing productions inside large tents and other temporary structures where we don’t want to run wires all over the place.”

“The LQ devices have become a cost-effective and versatile connectivity tool for rental companies to connect, extend or expand their existing intercom inventory,” said Kari Eythorsson, Regional Sales Manager, Southwest USA, Clear-Com. “Because the devices are brand and platform agnostic, rental companies that own industry-standard 2-wire and/or 4-wire intercom system have invested in LQ boxes for saving time, money and resources in deploying intercom systems on both a local and global scale. We are very pleased that MSI have found ways to fully utilize the LQ capabilities.”

“The LQ Series boxes provide power to the legacy units plus two-way digital IP connectivity without any of the hum, buzzes, clicks, and cross-talk associated with long runs of analog cable," Tom Bollard, MSI’s Technical Director.